


Of roses and ice (The Snow Queen)

by brightasstars



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, retelling of the snow queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23497603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightasstars/pseuds/brightasstars
Summary: An old demon spreads across the land pieces of an evil broken mirror, affecting the hearts and minds of all who come in contact with it.Years after the creation of the mirror a piece of that old glass touches Magnus.Magnus is taken by the Snow Queen.A heartbroken Alec continues to search for his friend, until he finds him.
Relationships: Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 8
Kudos: 48
Collections: Hunter's Moon Fairy Tale Retelling





	Of roses and ice (The Snow Queen)

**Author's Note:**

> This beautiful and dreamy fairy tale is a story about friendship and love, loss, courage, fear and destiny written by Hans Christian Andersen.  
> I made some changes to adapt it to Alec and Magnus and trying to remain as true as possible to the original plot.  
> The original story was divided in 7 smaller stories, I cut out two of them since they were not really necessary to the plot.

_“He cannot receive any power from me greater than he now has, which consists in his own purity and innocence of heart.”_

_The Snow Queen – Hans Christian Andersen_

**THE FIRST STORY: WHICH TREATS OF A MIRROR AND OF THE SPLINTERS**

When we will arrive at the end of this whole story, we will all know a little more than what we actually do now.

Once upon a time there lived a greater demon, a Prince of Hell, named Asmodeus.

He was an evil spirit, actually one of the darkest souls the whole world had ever known.

His days flew by, one after another, with no changes and he felt bored. So one day an undexpected idea came to his mind, he created a dark magic artifact: an enchanted mirror.

This mirror owned a terrible power: all the good and beautiful things that reflected in his glass, suddenly disappeared, as they had never existed.

On the contrary, the evil and ugly traits were emphasized.

Green and romantic landscapes were transformed into grey and barren lowlands; generous and kind souls instantly twitched, to find themselves sad, cruel and harsh.

The mirror brought out the worst from everyone and everything.

Asmodeus found this so endearing, he was so proud of himself, filling his days with the joy that came from the outspreading desperation and darkness.

Every good thought turned into a devilish grimace and Asmodeus spent his days laughing on his incredible invention; his laughter reflecting and echoing in the mirror.

There also happened that Asmodeus held a school of magic and his warlocks found this mirror an incredible instrument of amusement.

They had fun running around the world and made every good human being reflect himself inside the mirror.

The whole world started turning into sadness and cruelness and harshness.

Still, that hadn’t been enough. Asmodeus and his warlocks dared to challenge the Angels.

They flew higher and higher… and as the mirror stole away from the most perfect beings their kindness and their grace, Asmodeus' laughter was echoing inside the mirror so strong and hard, that he made it tremble.

When the shaking became uncontainable, the mirror fell from the hands of the warlocks and crashed on the ground, shattering into thousand infinitesimal splinters that spread all around the world.

_And then it was even worse._

Some splinters were so small, smaller than a grain of sand and entered into people's eyes, making them see everything covered with a grey veil of dust and catching only the worse side of things; since each small splinter held the same strong power as the full mirror itself.

Some bigger pieces slotted onto the windows or into glasses turning the world's vision into a darker place to be.

And some of them….they entered in people's hearts turning them into ice.

Sometimes the wind still spreads those splinters around, that is why it’s better to stay inside, in those dark and cold winter nights, when the whirlwind comes.

**THE SECOND STORY: WHICH TREATS OF TWO LITTLE BOYS**

Alec was born in a windy September night, in his house. His mother was alone in the house when the pain of her impeding labour caught her by surprise.

She hadn't time to do anything but open the little bow window that looked out on the street and call for her neighbor, Mrs. Dorothea.

Mrs Dorothea was a lovely, kind and wise old lady who had become a nanny less than a year before.

The last December her daughter had given birth to a wonderful child named Magnus. But her daughter hadn't been married and no one knew who Magnus' father was...her child had different physical traits from all the people that lived in their small town. 

Despite Mrs Dorothea had loved her and had accepted her unexpected baby; the girl, who was still young, couldn't bear the shame and the brutal judgments she had been addressed with. So one day, she had killed herself, when Magnus had just passed his third month.

Mrs. Dorothea had to overcome the unbearable pain of losing her daughter to concentrate only on that little fluffy baby with caramel skin and brown, deep, almond-shaped eyes.

"Mrs. Dorothea...help me...help me please…" Maryse shouted out from the window, before crawling into a ball on the floor, as the pain peaked.

Mrs. Dorothea flung immediately inside the house on the other side of the street, carrying the little Magnus with her.

There was already a crib inside Maryse's room, with soft and clean sheets. Mrs Dorothea gently laid a still sleeping Magnus in there and rushed to help the young women up on her feet and on the bed.

She guided Maryse through the pain and the fear, since her husband was out of town on duty.

Mrs. Dorothea remained there, whispering words of encouragement and reassurance, holding her hand and caressing her head, until a bunch of black curled hair made their appearance between Maryse's legs.

Mrs. Dorothea helped the child in his way out, lifted him in her strong arms and then laid him in his mother's waiting arms.

"Welcome to this world…" she searched for the answer in Maryse's sparkling eyes.

"...Alexander... that'll be his name…"

"Welcome Alexander than" she smiled fondly to the mother-baby couple, the pain of missing her daughter welling up instantly.

Maryse's heart was full of joy and happiness, but her body was sore and she felt exhausted.

"You need to rest my dear. Give me the baby. I'll take care of him while you take a little nap. And when you’ll wake up I'm going to help you get cleaned up."

Maryse couldn't have asked for more. She gave Alexander to Mrs. Dorothea and closed her eyes.

Alexander had big blue eyes and black hair.

He kept staring at Mrs. Dorothea silently, scanning every inch of her wrinkled face. Then his body tensed and he started weeping.

Mrs. Dorothea tried to soothe him and comfort him, but every move, every song and every touch seemed useless. 

Then a thought came to her mind. Maybe Magnus' presence could help the baby to calm down. She went to the crib and put Alexander near her baby nephew that was still sleeping deeply.

Alexander's forehead was leaning now on Magnus' cheek. As his skin came in touch with Magnus', Alexander had stopped crying immediately, closing his eyelids and falling asleep.

Since that first morning Alexander and Magnus had never left each other for even one day.

As they grew up, Alec had always ran to Magnus when he had felt hurt or lost as Magnus seemed to be the only one able to calm him down.

As the years passed, other three babies found their way into the Lightwood's house: Izzy, Jace and Max.

Izzy and Max were Alexander's blood siblings, while Jace was the son of one of Robert's closest friend who had died with his wife in unknown circumstances.

Magnus had become a part of Alexander's family--more precisely he had become Alec’s family.

Alec’s parents had always been hard on him, always blaming him for not being enough. Robert was so dissatisfied with him all the time.

Alec was too tall, too clumsy, too shy, too selfless, too concentrated on his inner thoughts, too focused on the other’s well being and most of all, he didn’t act as boldly and cockily like his peers and like his brother.

Robert also hadn't like Magnus at all.

He thought that Magnus wasn’t a good friend for his son, since his grandma was growing him free to become whoever he wanted to be.

When Jace had arrived, he had become Maryse’s star, he was beautiful, smart, successful in everything he tried and actually did.

And he got all the love Alec had never had.

Still, Alec had always been kind and gentle to him, understanding and protective.

But he felt trapped inside his home, so every day he went out with Magnus.

Magnus, who was the only one who still called him by his full name. He was the only one to whom Alec's heart responded.

The more he grew closer with Magnus, the more he closed himself off inside his house. He spent the majority of his time in his room, reading and writing.

They grew up playing outside during the warm sunny summer days and planting roses on their windowswills in spring.

They both loved roses.

Their houses were so close that they could jump from one window to the other, walking on the drainpipe. Over time, they put more vases all along the drainpipe, to plant more roses. In spring and summer the plant’s branches intertwined creating a rainbow of colors and gradients of different scents. Alec and Magnus used to hang up there during the spring's nights and talk, holding their hands and dreaming of their future, the intoxicating fragrance wrapping them up.

For Alec roses just meant Magnus and Magnus just felt the same.

They were too young to give a name to the throbbing inside their hearts whenever the other one was around.

When the cold merciless winter came back every year, it was the worst time for them, since they were forced to stay inside for the majority of the day.

Winter for Alec had become a curse… trapped inside those four walls with no kindness and no tenderness.

Magnus was his hope. At night, when everybody was asleep, he and Magnus used to heat a brass coin on the stove and place it on the window glass, to melt the layer of ice that covered it. And through that small opening, they looked at each other with dreamy and loving eyes, and spoke without words, waiting for spring to come again.

And when they saw the little branches blossoming, their hearts always filled with a renewed joy.

The first real fight Alec had with his parents, happened one winter's night, when he was 13. It was Magnus’ birthday and they had planned to pass it together at Magnus’. They had been planning this for years, but each time the answer had been a strong undeniable _NO._

This time, Alec hadn’t planned to ask permission to do that; he was 13 and there was nothing that could have stopped him. As the sun came down he rushed to the door, wearing a patched jacket, an old scarf and holed gloves.

“Where do you think you are going Alec?”

“It’s Magnus' birthday and I’m going to stay with him.”

“No you’re not.” Robert raised his voice.

“Yes, I am.” and he opened the door.

“If you spend the night in there, you’re not gonna be my son anymore.” Robert shouted after him.

“Do you think that hurts me? I have never been and I will never be. So that’s nothing new for me.” He shouted back and crossed the street, tears stinging behind his eyelids.

Later that evening, while they were sipping hot chocolate near the fireplace, a glacial wind forced the window open, little snowflakes suddenly enterin into the living room like a swarm of bees.

"They have a Queen you know kids…In nights like these…you can feel her coming." Mrs. Dorothea said closing the shutters and then the window.

"The Snow Queen?" The boys asked together.

"Yes." And she sighed. She was sure that the Queen's magic had touched her daughter's heart many years ago, making her feel so lost and alone to bring herself to death.

"Tell us about her, grandma. Will you? We're big enough now to know the full story. Please." Magnus was looking at her with pleading eyes.

Alec was frozen still, waiting for her to comply to Magnus' request.

"All right boys. Come and sit next to me. This is a long and sad story”.

Mrs. Dorothea started telling the story of The Snow Queen, slowly and with a deep, penetrating voice.

“The Snow Queen is a powerful evil witch, but she hadn’t always been so. A long long time ago, she had another name, she was called Lilith and she was the daughter of a greater demon named Asmodeus and of the Arctic Queen. Asmodeus soon got bored of his wife and ordered his servants to kill her in her sleep, when her magic was silent.

After he got rid of her, he abandoned his small daughter alone in a cold and icy land, forgetting that she had inherited her mother’s power, the ability to manipulate ice and cold.

Back then, Lilith had been only a scared child who missed her mother so much. The loneliness and the pain soon became unbearable, so she directed her own magic toward herself and forced her heart to turn into ice, to never feel hurt anymore.

Since then, she’s been going around the world with her icy sleigh, during the nights of snow storms, to gather the lost and sad souls and bring them with her into her frozen Castle, kissing them to turn them into ice, to relieve them from the pain.

In nights like these, she is flying there where the swarm is thickest. From faraway she looks like a large snowflake that never lands on the ground, but always flies up to the dark clouds.

Often at midnight she flies through the streets of the town and breathes her frosty breath upon the windows; then the ice freezes into wonderful forms that look like flowers”

They sat there in silence, Alec holding Magnus’ hands.

Finally Magnus broke the silence.

“I don’t feel like blaming her grandma. I understand her, sometimes I’d wish my heart could turn to ice too.” He closed his eyes in pain.

Alec knew that Magnus missed his unknown mother, more than anything else. He tightened his grip on Magnus’ hands and pulled him up on his legs; then he accompanied him to his bedroom.

Magnus was silent and never left Alec’s hand while they were going upstairs.

Once in his room, Alec closed the door and sat with Magnus, on his bed. Magnus was clutching his sheets in balls with his fists. He felt like crying, but he didn’t want to ruin that first night he and Alec had the permission to sleep together.

Alec embraced him and whispered in his ear “You know you can cry Magnus. Don’t hide your feelings from me. I am more than a brother, more than a friend, and you know that. I…"

Magnus suddenly felt his tears flowing down his cheeks and surrendered to Alec’s embrace. They stayed like that, for a while, in silence, until Alec put one hand in his pocket and gave Magnus a small box, wrapped up in a newspaper sheet.

“This is for you” he said quietly.

They were both poor and had no money to buy presents, but Alec had managed to find something for him.

Magnus smiled. Inside the box there was a dried rose.

“I saved this for you last spring. So that you’ll never feel alone again.” Alec said smiling back.

Magnus was out of words, Alec had such a kind heart. He hugged him strongly.

“Do you still miss her?” Alec gently asked.

“Yes. But it’s not only that Alexander. “ He paused and took a deep breath. “No one will ever want me. You know that everyone in this town knows that I have no father, everyone knows that my mother had killed herself… you know how they look at me when I walk outside, I can hear them whispering behind my back…No one will ever marry me….Even your parents hate me… “

They were now laying side by side, the warmth of their bodies trying to fight off the cold in the room.

“My parents are just stupid bigots. My mother never reminds that if it hadn't been for your grandma, I wouldn’t have been here and she would have died.”

“Do … Don’t you ever feel ashamed going around town hand in hand with me?” Magnus asked abruptly.

“What? Why would you think that?” Alec raised on his elbows “Did I… Did I ever act as if I was ashamed of you?” his voice was hurt and low.

“No… No Alexander… I… I just thought that maybe you were doing that only for me…that maybe you....”

“I do it for you, as I do it for me. Walking hand in hand with you, makes me proud and makes me happy. You know what? If no one will ever do that… I will marry you…”

Magnus burst into a joyful, deep laugh and cuddled inside Alec’s arms.

They fell asleep together and it all felt too good to be true.

Others three years had passed and Alec and Magnus had always been together, always talking, always hanging around, studying, reading, planting roses, sharing dreams, feelings and emotions.

They both hadn’t realized that they had fallen in love with each other.

They felt it inside their hearts; that feeling of fullness whenever the other one was around. They could also see the physical reactions that the other’s touch elicited.

But they were scared… scared to lose what they had built until now.

_What if doesn’t see me **like that**? What id f he doesn’t **want me** like that?_

One November afternoon they were strolling around town. 

The chill was starting to get stronger, big grey clouds were gathering above their heads and a hissing wind was starting to whirl around the streets, making everyone one turning their collars up.

Alec knew he had deeply fallen in love with Magnus and he could clearly feel that he wanted to kiss him.

He had decided to open up to Magnus, to share his feelings with him; trusting that if Magnus didn't reciprocate them, he would have never done anything to hurt him.

Alec guided Magnus to their secret place on the drainpipe where they had shared so many secrets… it felt just right to be there.

“So it’s something really important Alexander…” Magnus was smiling and his voice was so sweet.

Alec pulled him down, making him sit next to him.

“Yes, it’s something really important. It’s been a while now, that I wanted to tell you.”

His voice was progressively lowering, as the consciousness of what he was about to tell Magnus was just washing over him instantly.

“Magnus I…”

Then a suddenly blast of cold wind hit them both on their faces, hard and fast, stealing the words Alec had just whispered and dissolving them in the air.

“Ah!” Magnus shouted. “Something hit me in the eye! My chest hurts!”

Alec suddenly clutched Magnus’ cheeks and tilted his head up high, but he couldn’t see anything.

“There’s nothing there Magnus, it’s already gone” , but that wasn’t true.

Magnus’ eye had been hit by one of those small splinters from the enchanted mirror and another one had dropped right into his heart.

Alec noticed immediately that something had changed in Magnus’ eyes, they were cold and distant.

_Has he heard me? Doesn’t he feel the way I do?_

Alec hadn’t realize he had tears streaming down his face.

“Why are you crying Alec?” Magnus’ voice was hard and taut “You’re so ugly when you cry. Haven’t I told you that before?”

Alec felt punched right in his chest. Magnus had never called him Alec once, since they had reached the ability to speak and never with a such a harsh tone.

“Look at that rose, it’s so horrible” and he ripped it off the soil.

Alec eyes widened in astonishment and in pain.

“Oh, you’re so useless, so emotional, I can’t bear staying next to you a minute longer.”

Magnus got up from the drainpipe leaving Alec alone up there, for the very first time in their whole life.

Alec kept crying silently until the night had laid her black soft cloth on the world.

He felt hurt and lost. Nevertheless, he still loved Magnus, with all his heart. He could feel something was missing, he knew deep inside himself that something had happened and that it had made Magnus change.

From that horrible afternoon everything had turned worse for Alec.

Magnus didn’t want to hang out with him anymore, he preferred to stay alone and whenever he was around town, he was always making jokes and fun of everyone who had a physical flaw, a problem or that was in pain.

He had become friend with the bullying guys at school and they always annoyed Alec, calling him names and he had become hurtful even with his grandma.

But it wasn’t him… it was the evil mirror's splinter fault.

Winter came again, hard and cruel, over the streets and the trees, covering them in ice and hoarfrost and over Alec’s heart.

One day, when he was coming back from school, he met Magnus, he was sitting on a bench along the way.

He felt a sting inside his heart.

“Alec!” Magnus called him.

He knew that Magnus had probably stopped him to make fun of him, but he went to him nonetheless.

Magnus was still inside his heart, it was the most precious treasure he held for himself.

The bench was covered in snow that had already started freezing.

Magnus was holding a magnifier right in front of his brown eyes. Oh, how much Alec missed the soft loving gaze that Magnus usually reserved only for him.

“Alec, come here, take a look!. This is what you can call perfection. Not your stupid roses up there. Look here.” and he handed Alec the magnifier, inviting him to focus on the snowflakes.

“Can you see them? They look like flowers, or shining stars, but they’re much more perfect. They have no flaws, they are all similar and they never change. Your roses wither” and he sneered.

That sweet, lovely, wholehearted smile was gone, forever.

Alec kept on staring at him, like he was waiting for Magnus to awaken from a bad dream.

“I’m going to go on sleds with the other guys. I hope we can hit some stupid old bat and make her fall on the ground” his laughter sounded devilish.

“Why… why are you doing this?” Alec muttered.

“What?”

“Hurting everyone. You’ve never been so.” His eyes were reddening again, his voice brittle.

“This is not you Magnus, what happened? Talk to me, please, it’s me, talk to me. I…I…”

Magnus stood up, pushed him harshly on the ground and shouting back to him “Ah! I’m done with you! You know what Alec? Your father was right. You’re nothing, you’re not worth anything, you’ve never been anything and well… even your best will never be enough.”

He took his sled under his arm and ran away still laughing at him.

Alec eyes were filled with warm tears, his heart was strangling inside his chest.

While he was walking back home, he tried to calm the sobs that were escaping from him, not wanting to face his family while he was hurting so much.

As Magnus was running his sled in the town’s square, the wind became suddenly stronger and the air grew thicker.

The snowflakes started to whirl around him, wrapping him up in a sort of snow breeze.

He felt dizzy and he couldn’t see properly anymore.

Then he heard the sound of hooves and he saw an enormous icy sleigh stopping nearby.

There was a woman, sitting on the front of a giant wooden sleigh; she was wearing what seemed a white fur coat and there was a huge hood covering her head, lowered down above her eyes.

The sleigh took two laps around the square and Magnus felt the urge to follow it.

As the big sleigh slowed down in front of him again, he tied his sled to the back and sat on it.

Then the enchanted sleigh moved again, faster this time, dragging Magnus behind.

Magnus suddenly felt lighter, the wind was carrying him high above the streets and the trees.

The woman on top turned around to look at him, twice, urging him to stay there, to remain there.

"I will take away your pain" she whispered glacially.

Magnus closed his eyes and let the wind carry him away, until he lost track of space and time.

When he opened his eyes again, he was flying over the frozen forest just outside the town.

The snow now was so dense and thick that he couldn’t see anything and suddenly he felt scared.

He quickly unfastened the knot that was keeping him attached to the big sleigh, but even when it was undone, his sled remained there, violently dragged through the whirlwind.

He shouted out loud, searching for help, as fear and anguish were raising inside his heart.

His mind went to Alec.

He cried out his name to the wind, but no one could have heard him up there. He was flying high, running fast, his sled skidding.

Then the big sleigh stopped abruptly.

The snowflakes around him were now bigger than eggs and the woman on top suddenly stood up and sat next to him.

She pulled off her hood, she was beautiful and scary, her white skin spreading a shining candor all around.

Now Magnus could see that her coat was not made of fur; it was made of snow and her eyes were the color of frozen limpid water.

_The Snow Queen._ He realized.

He wanted to run away, but those glassy eyes were enchanting him and forcing his legs still.

Then the woman spoke to him with a dead, toneless voice.

“We had a good ride, haven’t we? But I can see you’re cold. Come here and take shelter inside my fur” and with a swift move she pulled Magnus beside her and covered his shoulders.

Magnus felt like he had been buried in a giant snowball, the cold was silently and slowly creeping inside his body and his soul. He shivered.

“Oh! Are you still cold?” and she kissed him on his forehead. That glacial kiss went straight to his heart, stealing from him the last of his warmness.

For a moment, Magnus felt as if he was dying. Then, everything was fine again, he couldn't even feel the freezing anymore.

The Queen brought Magnus on the front side of her sleigh, making him sit in her lap, while she was riding.

“Come with me” she told him.

“Where? Where are we going? My grandma, Alexander…”

As the sleigh flew up high again, she gave Magnus another kiss and he instantly forgot about his home, his family, his friendship and his love.

“Now my darling lost pure soul, no more kisses or you will be dead. And I don’t want you to die. You will stay with me, forever. You’ll never be lonely again”

Magnus looked at her. She was elegant and graceful, like a heavenly creature and he didn’t feel scared anymore.

She brought him above a dark huge cloud, high up above the raging storm.

They flew over the woods and the forests, above lakes, rivers and towns, the wild wind howling underneath.

Magnus raised his head and looked at the moon that was shining palely in that long never ending winter night.

When he woke up the next day, he was lying at the feet of the Snow Queen.

**THE THIRD STORY: WHICH TREATS OF THE FLOWER GARDEN AND OF THE OLD LADY WHO PRACTICED WITCHERY**

The next day Alec woke up very early, he felt so lonely and lost. When he had come back the night before, he had gone straight to his room. The words Magnus had told him, had hurt him so much.

He rose from his bed and sneaked out of the house quickly, with his school bag and his scarf covering his mouth and his nose. His eyes, still watered from the long crying, were stinging in the frosty air.

Magnus wasn’t at school that morning, as he wasn’t strolling around with his new friends in the afternoon. 

_Maybe he’s sick_ , Alec thought while he was heading back home. _Let me_ check.

He knocked on the door, waiting for someone to come.

Mrs. Dorothea opened soon after. Her face was a mask of sorrow. It was clear that she had been crying, Alec had never saw her so distraught.

“He’s gone Alexander… he’s gone… he hadn’t come home tonight… the Queen took him Alexander, it was her….it’s been her… she was there, the boys told me an icy sleigh stopped in the square yesterday…” she was speaking between hitched breaths, as if she had been running “…they said Magnus had tied his sled to he big sleigh and disappeared behind it… flying into the snow storm…all the otherrs don't believe them, they say Magnus had killed himself just like his mother... but I know the boys are right...Alexander… the Queen sensed his pain… I know she took him away…"

She looked at Alec who was standing bonelessly in front of her, his eyes lost in nowhere.

" Alexander, I know that he had turned cold to you and that he had hurt you… but… it wasn’t him… Magnus had one of the kindest soul I’ve ever seen… and she stole it, to keep it for herself….”

A shiver ran through Alec’s body as he dropped his bag and started crying.

It was more than just crying, it was that desolate weep that comes out when there isn’t any hope left.

He was sobbing loudly into his hands, that were now covering his face and the tears were dripping between his fingers, right down into the snow.

His breathing was ragged and he felt he had no strength left to stand up right.

He sank to his knees, not caring about the glacial cold that was rising from the ground into his body; his heart had already turned to ice.

“I loved him…” he whispered…” I should have told him… that I loved him…”

A few days later Alec had been told that Magnus had drowned into the river.

If Alec had thought that the winter without Magnus was the worst thing he could have ever experienced, he had been proven wrong.

As spring had returned again, with the sun and his gentle rays, the blossoms, the green grass peeking from the ground, Alec had felt even more desperate. He was always tired, easily irritable and fatigued. His deep unconsolable sadness had almost drew him into a state of apathy.

One early morning he dared to go on the drainpipe.

He was sitting there, his legs hanging out. He kept staring to the roses he and Magnus had planted and he couldn’t find any more reason to live.

He missed Magnus, so much. He just couldn't accept the idea that Magnus would have never come back.

“He’s dead…” Alec whispered to himself, silently crying.

“ _No he’s not._ ”

Where did that voice came from? Alec was alone. There were only two swallows flying around their roses.

“ _Don’t believe he is dead, Alexander. Because he is not._ ”

Alec rubbed his eyes twice.

Were the birds really talking to him, or was he just going mad?

The two swallows landed on his thighs.

“ _We don’t believe he’s dead and neither should you._ ”

Then they flew away, bringing with them the heavy weight that Alec had been carrying inside his heart.

He returned to his room, put on his shoes and took his leaky jacket, the one that Magnus loved the most.

“I’ll find you Magnus. I will”.

He left his home before the others had waken up and proceeded straight to the river in which he had been told that Magnus had drawn.

The river had a strength that reflected in the trees surrounding it. It was flowing with confidence, the water making a mellow harmony amid the fragrant leaves.

The rotting trees crept into the river's edge, carrying by their roots the debris of the last winter’s snow and of the fallen dried leaves.

Above the mass of water, high dense branches wove a thousand of tiny green leaves, letting only a few fragments of sunlight passing through.

As Alec stood by the river banks he inhaled the air, thick with early spring’s scents, with the fragrance of blossoms, flowers and damp.

He missed their roses, their smell that was tightly bound to Magnus, to his memory, to his heart.

The sound of the running water had a relaxing, hypnotic effect on him and he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

“Is it true that you had taken my friend away?”

The river waves abruptly formed a sort of vortex, a powerful spinning current pulling everything down inside it.

Maybe the river wanted something in return, Alec thought.

Alec stood there in silence, staring at the leaves being sucked in that spiraling movement, trying to think of something to offer as a trade _\--he had nothing_ \-- then is eyes lit up.

“If you’ll return him to me I will give you this jacket…it’s everything I have, it's important to me because Magnus loved it and because it's bound to so many happy memories I've built with him in all these years."

He took off his jacket and threw it into the water, but it fell too near the borders and the river's streams soonly landed it back on the grass.

Does that meant that the river hadn’t Magnus?

That he couldn’t give Magnus back to Alec?

Maybe not. Maybe he just needed to bring it a little further, where the water was deeper and the river-bed was made of big stones covered in moss.

Alec suddenly noticed that there was a little wooden boat, hidden between the rods, tied loosely with a frayed rope.

_That will help._

He climbed in, pulled the rope to lenghten it and make the boat drif away from the land.

When he thought he had gone far enough, he carefully dragged his body forward until he was peering out from the bow and threw the jacket again, right were the current seemed stronger.

His movement made the boat swing twice and disentangle from the loosen knot that was keeping it in place.

It was too late now for Alec to jump back on land.

The boat picked up speed as the stream kept pushing it further and further.

Alec felt scared; if he had fallen into the water he wouldn’t have know how to swim.

What if he had drown?

Who could find and save Magnus then?

He felt like crying.

Maybe the river wanted to bring him to Magnus?

Maybe the river hadn't Magnus but knew where he had gone, where Alec could find him.

Hope rose again in his chest and he tried to calm down. It would have been less scaring if he lied down into the boat and just waited there for it to stop.

As the boat kept moving between the waves, Alec was staring at the big trees hovering over him.

They were swaing in the gentle wind and the leaves were talking to him " _You will find him. He's not dead_."

He closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep, lulled by the strolling, the gentle breeze and the whispers of nature in his ears.

After a couple of crancked turns, the river abruptly slowed his pace and the boat stopped in front of a big garden where cherry trees were in bloom, their branches covered in tiny light pink flowers interspersed with small green leaves.

The house behind the garden had red and blue windows, the walls were all hidden behind the entanglig twigs of a dark green climbing plant. The roof was made of straw and the door's glasses had a semi-matt surface that hid the view of the interiors.

Alec woke up at the sweet stinging scent of the trees.

As he sat again inside the boat, he saw two soldiers standing at the edge of the garden, with their guns blazing toward the river.

Were they real?

He shouted in fear.

An old lady opened the door, her head sneaking out to check where the sound had come from. She lived there alone and it had been a long time since she had met someone.

She was wearing a large straw hat covered with different colored flowers and she was leaning on a dark brown stick as she made her way to the boat where Alec was still sitting. He seemed paralized in terror.

“Oh… I am so sorry dear."

She had a creaking voice that resembled the noise made by an old rocking chair.

"Those soldiers are not real. I'm an old lonely lady and I put them there to scare the malicious guys away...not a young boy like you. How have you ended up here? So far from the world? You must be really far away from home… don’t be scared. I won't harm you."

She got into the water with one foot and hooked the boat with her stick, dragging it onto the land.

Alec felt relieved that he was about to put his feet on the solid ground again, but he was also scared by the old lady.

Could he trust her? Maybe she had seen Magnus passing by. Maybe she could tell him where he went.

He took a deep breath and looked at her.

She didn't seem dangerous. On the contrary. She looked fragile and lonely. She reminded him of Mrs. Dorothea, of the same sadness she had hidden in her eyes. Maybe this old lady had suffered a big loss too.

Alec smiled and the old lady's heart warmed. He had a smile that could turn a grey morning into gold.

“Get down and tell me how you ended up here. Come in, you must be hungry and dinner is already on the stove."

Alec stepped out of the boat and followed the old lady inside the house.

She took Alec by his hand and brought him in, locking the door behind them with a strong spell.

The light was dim and the smell of flowers was so strong that had Alec almost fainting.

There was a big square table just in the middle of the room and a bowl full of red cherries.

"Sit down…?"

"Alec, my name is Alec."

"What a beautiful name. Sit down Alec and eat some of my cherries while you tell me what happened to you."

Alec sat down and started telling her the story of him and Magnus; how they were born one after the other, how the grew up being more than friends, how Magnus had changed and disappeared in that cursed winter night, leaving him alone and in pain.

He told her about the roses they had planted and about how much he missed him, how he thought that the river had taken him and how he had planned to bring him back.

He had been talking without pausing, not even once.

Then he asked her if she had saw him passing there.

“No, he has not passed yet. But he will. Be sure. If the river has taken him, he has to pass here. Now… you hadn't eat any cherry yet. Try them. I had just collected them from the tree that's in the back. They are ripe and sweet. I was thinking...why don't you wait for him here? With me. I will show you my garden and my flowers, each of them has a story to tell and you can spend your time listening to their soft whispers. You'll keep me company and I will take care of you….until he comes."

But the old lady knew that Magnus would have never come there.

The plan didn't seem too bad. Alec had always wanted someone to take care of him.

He didn't feel scared anymore, so he ate all the cherries and listened to the lady talking about flowers and gardens.

"Roses, roses are my favorite. I love their multiple sets of silky soft petals and their stems loaded with thorns. You have to overcome the fear of being hurt to really enjoy their presence and their gift. I miss them, as I miss Magnus. His memory is deeply entangled to their timeless intoxicating fragrance in springtime. Roses have captured Magnus' image inside themselves, whenever I look at them I can see him smiling shyly with that delightful invitation to draw closer"

The old lady listened in silence and in silence made plans.

She stood up and went to her room to grab a gold enchanted comb.

“You have leaves and weeds through your hair darling, will you let me comb them away for you?"

Alec nodded.

His hair had grown longer and their were now even more tousled than they had always been.

Magnus had loved Alec's hair.

He never waisted a chance to ran his hands through Alec's messy black ebony strands.

And Alec had always leaned into those gentle strokes.

He missed him so much.

The old lady took her golden comb and started stroking Alec's hair, the black locks curling and shining brighter under her tender hands and Alec felt for the first time, that someone was taking care of him, after Magnus had gone.

“All of my wishes had come true! I have been waiting for you for a long time! You are a sweet and kind boy, we will be good for each other, trust me.”

The old lady kept combing his hair gently and the more she combed Alec’s strands the more he started to forget the reason why he had arrived there, Magnus and the love he had felt for him, Magnus and the pain for his loss.

The old lady was named Imogen.

She knew and practiced witchery, but her magic wasn’t evil. She had always used her powers to entertain herself and now all that she wanted was to keep Alec by her side, because she had been so lonely for a very long time and her heart had been empty with no chance to love again. 

S

he had lost her little nephew a long time ago and Alec just reminded her of how beautiful was having someone around to take care of.

Alec had made her feel alive again.

She had to keep him there. She would have loved him and cherished him.

Whoever had thrown him away didn’t deserve the love of such a kind heart.

As Alec fell asleep on the couch, won by his tiredness, she went to her garden, pointed her stick to the rosebushes she had in the back and made them all suddenly disappear into the dark soil.

The old lady knew the power of memories and she feared that if Alec ever saw those flowers again, he would have remembered the ones he had planted with Magnus and the love he had felt for him and he would have run away from her, leaving her alone again.

When Alec got up, he had forgotten why he was there, but since he didn't want to go back to his parents, he decided to remain with the old lady. 

He spent his days outside helping her in the beautiful garden.

Alec had never seen such a variety of flowers, not even on books. He strolled around, kneeling beside each blossom to savor the scent and listen to the stories they had to tell him.

The old lady looked at him and felt a deep joy inside her heart.

Alec had a tender soul, a loving heart and a caring attitude.

She had given him the biggest room in the house, the one who had the windows directly overlooking the garden and she had made his bed with red silken sheets embroidered with blue forget-me-not.

Alec felt at home and he felt loved.

Time passed, slowly but relentlessly, Alec and Magnus were both prisoners of a fate they would have never chosen for themselves, both unaware of what kind of life the other was living.

Winter had arrived and Alec passed his days in the living room, by the fire place, painting pictures of the garden.

He painted bouquets and flower beds, but he was never satisfied of his paintings. He felt as if something was always missing, though he couldn't get his mind around that feeling.

"Imogen... don't you think something's missing?"

"No. Not at all Alec. They are all beautiful."

But Alec was right. Roses were always missing.

Spring and summer came again.

On one very hot day by the end of the summer, Alec felt his head burning under the penetrating sunshine, sweat's drops dripping on his forehead.

"If you don't cover your head you will collapse soon Alec" Imogen shouted to him.

She peered out from her balcony and threw him her straw hat covered in flowers.

"Put this on. Lunch is almost ready. I'll be waiting for you inside."

Alec grabbed the hat and gave it a quick look.

It was beautiful.

As he was scanning all the flowers and their different colors, one caught his attention, the most beautiful one he had ever seen.

It was a rose.

The old lady had forgotten to make it disappear from her hat.

_A rose. That's a rose. That's what was missing in my paintings._

_How is it possible that we haven't roses in our garden?_

He went round and round, searching all over the garden. But no roses were to be seen.

He stopped in the part were no flowers had ever been and kneeled.

He suddenly felt a strange sadness rising up inside his heart and he started crying, without even knowing why.

His tears were falling down steadily and touched the soil, exactly in the place where the roses had been before Imogen had made them disappear and as his tears bathed the earth beneath his knees, the old rosebushes that had been buried under the dirt, suddenly bursted out in all their colors and glory.

Alec kissed the roses in joy and awe.

Then he felt a sting inside his chest as he remembered...his roses...their roses... Magnus.

That's why he had arrived there in first place, he was searching for Magnus.

_I have lost so much time! I have to find him._

As his memories slowly returned, he whispered gently to the roses lightly swaying in the breeze "They had told me Magnus is dead. Have you seen him?"

"We had been buried under the ground for a long time. All the dead are there e he wasn't. He's not dead."

Alec smiled brightly as happiness filled his heart. This was how real happiness felt like.

There could have never been such a feeling without Magnus.

Magnus was his happiness, he had to get him back.

He raised up and headed to the blighted gate.

The other flowers started whispering words in his hears, trying to fool his mind and enchant him, to keep him there, until he snapped back "I don't care of anything you're telling me. This is not my place anymore. It has never been", then he rushed out of the gate.

He was barefoot and dressed in light summer clothes. He ran as fast as he could, checking behind him for three times, scared that someone might be following him.

But no one came chasing him.

He ran until his feet were hurting, so he stopped on a large rock to take some rest.

He didn't know where to go and as the night fell on the hills around him, a small shiver ran down his spine.

The season was about to change, autumn was just around the corner and winter would have come next soon.

He had to rush. He couldn't rest.

He had to find Magnus before winter came again.

_Magnus._

He let himself linger on their memories, emotions welling up inside of him, warm tears streaming down his cheeks again.

He missed him so much.

_Where would I go? I don't know where I am and I don't know where he is_

There was a sense of desperation in those words, a sense of hopelessness that didn't go unnoticed to the wind. A gentle breeze rose up from nowhere wrapping Alec up from head to feet as it whispered in his ears _Follow me_.

Alec rose up and started walking.

He would have kept on until his strength would have left him.

As he continued walking the green grass had started shriveling up, leaves had become yellow and orange, glittering in the morning light with hoarfrost.

Autumn was the season in which they usually planted their roses.

Alec's heart was full of longing.

His feet were cold, his fingertips were red, his limbs were shivering during the nights.

But he kept waking.

**THE FOURTH STORY: WHICH TREATS OF THE FINLAND WOMAND AND THE DREED**

Alec had noticed immediately the changes in the landscape.

He was now walking in a barren land, covered in a slight frost. There were no trees anymore and not even bushes. He was standing in a moorland, the grass was dried and the low plants were battered by a constant whirling cold wind.

He was still wearing his summer clothes, they were shredded and dirt and clinging to his body.

As the chill grew stronger, he had started feeling exhausted and tired.

All he wanted to do was sleep.

He felt his eyelids closing involuntarily, his body chasing the rest he deeply needed.

As he fell on the cold ground, he muttered slowly "Magnus...Magnus were are you?" and then all had gone blank.

When Alec opened up his eyes again, he was laying on a soft rug in front of a fireplace. He was naked under the woollen blanket that was covering him and his clothes were hanging above the fire.

There was silence all around.

He blinked twice and turned abruptly, looking around to understand where he was.

"Don't worry. My deer has saved you. You were laying on the raw ground of the tundra and my deer brought you here, to me".

The voice was soft and caressing. But Alec had already been fooled once. He wouldn't let his guard down this time. Not so easily anyway.

"Who are you?" Alec asked.

"I'm the Woman of Finland, a good witch. And who are you and what are you doing here alone, walking barefoot in lands where the winter never leaves, dressed in summer clothes, so far from home? Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Alec stubbornly remained in silence.

"I know you've been deceived. But you can trust me. I want to help. You clearly need help. Tell me, tell me who you are."

Alec thought carefully about the words the witch had just told him. He needed to know where Magnus was and where the Snow Queen was. He sighed and started talking.

"I'm… Alec...and I'm searching for my friend, Magnus. I thought that he was dead, but now I know that what the boys had seen on that winter night was true. The Snow Queen took him a year ago. I want to find him and bring him back."

His cheeks were red and his breath had quickened as he was thinking about Magnus.

"He's more than a friend for you. You are in love with him, aren't you?"

The Woman asked.

Alec blushed.

"I am. Deeply. I have always been. But I hadn't enough courage to tell him."

He bowed his head in sorrow and regret.

Then he took a deep breath and started to tell their story again, how they had grown up together, how they had always been there for each other, how love slowly had grown inside his heart and how he had lost Magnus.

The woman gently stroke his hair as the deer came near him to nuzzle its nose in his neck.

"Tell me, Alec. What is it that you love most in him? Is he worth all this love? Is he worth the sacrifices you have already done and the courage you'll need to overcome the Queen's power? Tell me."

Alec found himself suddenly dressed in his clothes, without moving a hand.

He sat on the rug and stared at the flames creeping inside the fireplace.

"What I love most...are his kindness and his braveness. Magnus has a gentle and fragile soul. Life hadn't welcomed him the way he would have deserved, still he always had a kind word for everyone and he never surrendered to his pain."

He took a pause and then resumed his speech.

"...yes...he is worth, he is worth of everything and even more…"

The Woman of Finland had listened to him in silence.

"I can sense the truthness of your words. Stay here tonight and take a little more rest. You'll need all your strenght to face her magic."

They ate in silence, listening to the creeping sound of the branches burning beside them.

The sleep had been really refershful and Alec felt that he was ready to go.

The sun was peeking inside the curtains of his room as he rose and walked down to the kitchen.

"Eat these. Then you can leave. My deer will bring you as far as we are allowed to go. From there on, you have to go alone."

"Woman of Finland" the deer started speaking "I know you have the power to bind all the winds in one bundle and gift the bravest with the strenght to take them down. Can you give this boy a potion so that he has the strength of dozen winds to fight the Snow Queen? His heart is pure and his love his true."

Alec looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Why would he need the strength of a dozen winds?"

She took a piece of leather from the bookshelf and unfolded it.

Ad she opened it, black inked letters started appearing on it, like an invisible pen was sliding onto the smooth surface. She read through it all, her eyes piercing the leather, her brows furrowed in concentration.

As she had finished reading, she turned toward Alec and spoke to him gently.

"Magnus is really held capitve by the Snow Queen, but he's not conscious of being a prisoner. He is happy and he thinks that he's living the most beautiful life he could have ever dreamed of. This is because he has two pieces of an old evil enchanted mirror inside him; one inside his eye and the other one inside his heart. Those pieces had hightened the sadness he was bearing inside his heart and had made him vulnerable to the power of the Queen. He has to be freed of those pieces to become a man and untangle his soul from the icy strings in which the Queen holds it."

"Can't you give Alec something to help him? To give him power over everything?" the deer insisted.

"I can't gift him with any strenght that is more powerful that the one he already carries inside his heart! Can't you see how the trees and the animals have been serving him and how far he has gone, counting only on himself, on his feelings, on his wish to find Magnus again, on the love he feels for him? He doesn't need any of my powers; his power is the love he feels, and this love is pure, true and unconditioned. If Alec fails to remove those evil splinters from Magnus' eye and heart, no one could ever help him!"

She smiled to Alec and spoke to the deer again.

"Within two miles from here, starts the frozen garden of the Snow Queen. Bring Alec there and leave him near a bush of red berries. Go, hurry. The winter is coming. "

Alec dressed up as quickly as he could and climbed on the deer's back. They ran together until they saw the bush the Woman had been referring to.

As Alec stepped down, he felt his feet freezing.

He was still wearing the same summer clothes that he had on the day he had left the old lady's house.

The deer kissed him goodbye and Alec could swore he had seen tears filling its eyes.

As Alec started walking, the wind howled, piling up snow in drifts, blinding his sight with ice-white dust.

The snowflakes clearly weren’t falling from the sky, since it was blue and the sun was shining above him.

It was like if he had been walking inside a desert storm, but this sand was made of small pieces of ice.

How could it be possible?

He walked bent over against the piercing cold, protecting his eyes with his arms.

Every landmark he had until a moment before loomed into his vision, then vanished, swallowed by the blinding whiteness around him.

The snowflakes were growing bigger and bigger as he approached to the Castle and he felt scared.

They were huge and terrifying, they were the Queen's army. Their shapes were constantly shifting, changing from snakes into dragons, from huge bears to growling tigers, their whiteness was almost unreal and they kept moving as if they were responding to an inner power, to an uncontrollable magic.

Alec was freezing, the ice felt like thousand bites on his skin. The wind and the snow dust had his eyes stinging and he could see the breaths coming out from his mouth turning from smoke into icy splinters that fell directly into the ground.

He felt like dying, but he had almost arrived, he could see the Castle, he couldn’t give up.

So he thought about Magnus and of their roses and that loving feeling ignited a warm sensation inside his chest, that spread through all of his body.

He felt courage and determination rising again inside of him and soon he stood shivering in front of the icy front door of the Castle.

The Castle was huge and scaring, four frosty towers stood at the front orned with assymetrical flying buttresses and pointed arches.

It looked bleak and sinister.

Alec took a deep breath and pushed the giant door.

**THE FIFTH STORY: WHICH TREATS OF WHAT TOOK PLACE IN THE PALACE OF THE SNOW QUEEN AND OF WHAT HAPPENED AFTERWARDS**

Magnus had been living in the Castle since the day the Queen had took him.

The Castle’s walls were made of crisp snow, the windows and the doors were carved into them by the howling winds that never stopped; the rooms inside changed shape with the shuffling of the snowflakes and they were all empty.

The sun couldn't reach the interiors of the Castle and the only light that could be seen was the one that came from the Northern Lights. 

It spread all around, but it was a cold light, glacial and gelid. 

In the middle of a huge empty icy ballroom there was a frozen lake. It's surface was shattered in thousand identical pieces, like a magical puzzle of astonishing beauty and perfection.

There was the throne of the Snow Queen and Magnus had never left that room. He spent his days shuffling, moving and rearranging a stack of ice splinters.

All the days and all the nights.

He used to kneel beside the frozen lake, his face twisted in concentration.

He kept moving them, picking one up and putting another aside, then taking it again.

But the solution he was searching for never came.

And he had always been good with words.

It was supposed to be a game… to entertain him… the “ _Icy Intelligence Game_ ” the Queen had called it.

On the very first day, she had made him kneel near the lake and had given him different pieces of ice, as if he was supposed to complete a puzzle.

The difference was that he had no pictures to reproduce, he had to find a way to compose a word.

_The day you’ll be able to write the word Eternity with those pieces I have given you, you will have power on yourself again and on your life and you will be free to go._

But he could have never succeded and the Queen knew that.

In the first days, he was enjoying playing it, but as the weeks and months had passed, that game had become a torture.

Every time he had been one step away from succeding, there had always been a piece that was missing, just that little piece that he needed to complete the word.

That’s how Alec found him when he entered in the ballroom, kneeling on his heels, staring at something on the floor that Alec couldn’t see from where he was standing.

Hi face was a deep purple for the cold, but he didn’t seem aware that he was almost dead. He hadn’t been able to feel the freezing from the day the Queen had given him that last kiss on his forehead.

Alec’s heart clenched in seeing him.

Though he was shivering incontrollably and his feet were hurting for the bruises, he started running toward Magnus calling his name, but Magnus didn’t even turn to look at him.

Alec threw himself on the ground, hugging Magnus with all the strength he had left.

“Magnus! Magnus! It’s me, it’s Alec, I found you! You’re not dead! I found you!”

But Magnus remained still, staring at those pieces.

Now that they were close, Alec could notice that though his face looked the same, his gaze was lost and his features were hard.

He was even more beautiful than Alec had remembered, but there was no joy in his eyes. Those almond shaped eyes that had once sparkled, were now cold and lost.

There was also nothing left of his warm smile.

Magnus was cold and stiff in Alec’s arms, he hadn't even turned to give Alec a look.

In that moment, a huge sadness and desperation invaded Alec’s heart.

He had arrived too late.

This Magnus was not _his_ Magnus anymore.

He started crying, his arms still around Magnus’ neck, his head on Magnus’ shoulder, the sobs shaking his back.

“Magnus, I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’ve arrived too late. Magnus I love you, I have always been in love with you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. Maybe if I had… you wouldn’t have followed her here. I’m so sorry.”

His tears started falling from his cheeks, down to Magnus' chest, soaking Magnus’ shirt and passing through it, warming the skin underneath it.

Those tears carried all the love that Alec felt for Magnus, the power that the Woman of Finland had talked about.

That love started melting the piece of ice Magnus had inside his heart, until it was all gone.

Magnus flinched and turned to look at Alec as he raised his head up.

They stayed there in silence, Alec’s eyes still full of tears.

Magnus could remember that he knew that boy, he could see the love in his eyes and he felt a sense of longing, of something he had been missing, though he still couldn’t properly gave it a name.

He started crying too, inside Alec’s arms, his eyes dripping with tears, like a river freed from a dam. And as he was crying, the frozen walls that had held him prisoner collapsed and the small splinter of the mirror escaped from his eye.

Magnus looked at Alec in astonishment as memories instantly filled his mind and his heart.

“Alexander! My sweet Alexander, it is you! Where have you been all this time? And where have I been? It’s so cold in here, and empty and sad. Where are we?”

Slowly but constantly, his memories continued to come back to him: when Alec had given him his first kiss on his cheek, the first time they had planted their roses, the days they had spent together cuddling and joking, their afternoons on the drainpipe dreaming about their future, the dried rose Alec had given him on that first night together in his home.

His gaze was warm again and his smile was the same one that had made Alec fell in love with him.

Alec leaned toward Magnus and kissed his cheeks, the purple disappearing under the loving touches and making the way for his caramel skin to show up again; he kissed his eyes unti they were shining and turning to brown, he kissed his hands and his feet and every inch of him that he could reach.

Those kisses were slow and soft and comforting in a way that words could have never been.

He kept trailing his kisses all over Magnus' body until Magnus was himself again, until all the pain had gone.

“I love you Magnus, I’ve always have", Alec whispered as he gently pressed his lips against Magnus’ ones and rested them there.

He could feel Magnus body loosen as his arms touched his shoulders.

Magnus chuckled beneath the salty tears and his heart throbbed inside his chest; he felt alive again.

This was the life he had always dreamt of, with Alec by his side.

He opened his mouth slightly, just enough to welcome Alec, until their breaths mingled.

Alec ran his fingers down Magnus’ spine, pulling him closer until there was no space left between them and he could feel the beating of Magnus’ heart against his chest.

The kiss healed Magnus from all the suffering he had to endure while he was a prisoner of the Queen.

As they parted, they just stayed right there, quite soundless for a while, simply feeling each other's presence.

“I love you too, Alexander” Magnus whispered back “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

Alec’s eyes were shining.

They weren't feeling the cold and the ice anymore as the hot flame of their love was keeping them warm.

“I can’t escape from here Alexander. She will come back.” There was sadness in his voice.

“Then I’ll stay here, with you, I’m never leaving you again.”

“But we won’t be able to remind each other, she will turn your heart into ice, as she had done with mine.”

“We’ll find a solution, I promise. But now… “

Alec paused and took a deep breath, then he took Magnus by his hand, made a little bow with his head and asked him “May I please have this dance?”

Magnus shook his head and smiled back, then he encircled Alec’s by his waist and they started to dance, slowly.

They were laughing and crying at the same time, so lost in the wander of being together again, together and in love.

Their joy filled those empty rooms with a love unseen in those places and its force was so overwhelming that it made the frozen lake crumble.

The icy crystals started dancing and floating around them, a dance of pure joy, until they landed on the floor of the room, forming the word that would have made Magnus free to go “ _Eternity_ ”.

Magnus’ eyes were glimmering again.

“I’m free, Alexander. Your love has freed me. The frozen splinters have formed the word I have never been able to. We’re free to go.”

Alec grabbed Magnus by his wrist and rushed toward the main door.

The snow storm that had welcomed Alec on his way to the Castle had stopped.

Holding their hands they were talking and walking toward the bush where the deer had previously left Alec.

As they walked through the land, the wild wind instantly had stopped howling and the ice was melting under their feet.

The deer was waiting for them near the bush.

“How did you know that I would have come back?” Alec asked.

“We all knew that, Alec. A love like yours, it’s hard to find.”

They climbed on the deer’s back and rode to the Woman of Finland.

She gave them dried clothes, food and something to drink.

While they were eating, they explained to Magnus what had really happened to him, how the glass splinter had turned him rude and sad, how Alec had discovered that the Queen had taken him and how Alec had survived to all the adventures he had to go through, to get to him and bring him back.

“You can stay here for the night and rest".

She smiled to them and then added “You were right Alexander. He is worth, worth of everything, just like you had said.”

She gave them a room and clean blankets.

There was a fireplace inside and a huge bed. Magnus hadn’t slept in a bed since he had been taken away. He threw himself on the mattress, giggling.

Alec was staring at him, love, awe and tenderness in his eyes.

“What?”

“I’ve missed that smile so much Magnus. I’ll never let anything take it away from you again. I promise”

Magnus patted the bed beside him and Alec layed down next to him, resting his head in the crook of Magnus’ neck.

Magnus was stroking his hair in a constant hypnotizing motion. He had desired so many times to have Alec like this, to touch him and hold him like this.

“Since when?” he breathed out.

“Ever since…” Alec muttered. “I … I was just scared of telling you…I was scared you didn't want me the same way I did. The day that splinter entered inside your eye, I had decided to tell you, but then…” he choked on his words for the emotion.

“Ssshhh… I loved you too, since the day my grandma had put you near me inside your crib. You were always there when I needed you, you have saved me Alexander.”

They kissed tenderly and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

“Are you sure you want to walk home?” the Woman of Finland asked them.

“Yes, we have so much to catch up with and also… I don’t think we will be welcomed when everyone will see that we're back. Not me anyway.”

“Time flies differently here Alexander. The day you had met the old lady, you had entered in a magical different dimension. You’ll probably won’t find what you are expecting, when you’ll be back home. And even you two, will probably be a little different.”

They both gasped.

“Don’t worry. Your love will be the same and you will be together, just… be ready to accept the changes if they ever come…”

She had given them enough food to get to the end of her land, they thanked her and made their way home.

They walked and talked and hugged and smiled as the time flew peacefully.

One morning they had stopped near a river to drink.

As Alec rose his head from the water, he could clearly see the towers of the walls that surrounded their town.

“We’re back Magnus.”

Magnus looked at the horizon and saw them too.

He felt so nervous. How much time had passed? Will his grandma be still alive? She might have died for the pain.

“Come on Magnus. Our life is waiting for us. You have me and I have you, that’s all that matters. We can make it.”

“Yes Alexander, we can.”

Magnus grabbed Alec by his hand and started walking toward the town.

As they tresspassed the walls that surrounded the town, they stared at each other in awe: they weren't teens anymore, they were adults.

Magnus had a short goatee all around his mouth, which he was tracing slightly with his fingertips.

Alec was astounded.

"You are so beautiful, Magnus, you take my breath away."

As he was leaning to kiss him a loud shouting voice interrupted them, it was Izzy.

"There you are! You two idiots! Where have you been? The whole town is searching for you! And ...what clothes are you wearing!?!?!"

She definitely seemed annoyed, but not surprised at all to see them.

Magnus and Alec, in the contrary, looked dumb.

They were two men, holding their hands and she had almost caught Alec kissing Magnus, but she hadn't seemed worried at all, as if it was something she had been used to.

It seemed like Izzy had seen them few hours before, as if they had never gone away.

"You have all your life to wreck him Magnus, but not today...well not until we're done and you'll be alone again." Izzy loved playing jokes with Magnus, but it seemed like he had never done this with her.

"Wait...what have you been doing out there in the woods until now?!?!! You look dumbstruck. Come on… we're late!"

"Llll...late?" Alec stuttered.

"Yes, late brother… you must have been so lost out there doing whatever, that you probably haven't realized what time is it. It's 4!." She shouted.

"And….?" Magnus asked in wonder.

"And you're getting married in two hours! Come on Magnus stop doing all this, it's not funny. We're really late and your grandma is out of her mind. She'd been looking for you everywhere...now...think of something nice and appropriate to tell her when you'll see her… we won't have her dying listening that you two had…"

"Izzy stop…" Alec blushed.

"You shouldn't blush _after_ Alec. Maybe before or in the meantime...but definitely not after...come on now, mum is waiting for you."

She turned her back to them and started running.

The Woman of Finland had been right.

They had been brought back in a world that was totally different from the one they remembered and it seemed like the Queen had never taken Magnus away.

Magnus and Alec stood there in silence, not knowing what to say.

Then Alec spoke quietly, never raising his eyes from Magnus' hands.

"Is...is...this ok for you? Is this something you would have wanted to happen? Marrying me?" His voice was trembling.

Magnus put his free hand under Alec's chin and raised his head up. He looked deeply into those eyes that he loved so much and replied back "Can't you see how in every life, in every time, in every world we were meant to be? Yes Alexander, I would have never asked for more than becoming your husband and live with you by my side."

Alec smiled. His eyes were sparkling in happiness.

"Come on now, let's go and get prepared."

"You know what's the sad thing about this?"

Magnus shook his head.

"That I had dreamt to propose properly...on my knees…"

Magnus laughed wholeheartedly.

"You can make it up to me later. I would love that."

And he kissed him.

"And you know what's the best thing of all this?"

Alec shrugged his shoulders.

"That we have a marriage to consume ...soon" Magnus smirked.

Alec cheeks turned crimson.

"You look like a rose Alexander. I'll make you blossom for all the days to come."


End file.
